The Ottawa Senators seem adamant about clinching a wild-card playoff berth. The team has won four of its past five games. To keep the momentum going, the Senators locked horns with divisional rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, on Saturday, winning the game 5-2.
The Canadian Tire Centre, teeming with die-hard Sens fans, resounded with Mitch Marner chants, dealing a further devastating blow to the Maple Leafs.
Maple Leafs Suffer “You Need Marner” Taunts from Ottawa Crowd
No team has had to endure a fall from grace so utterly dramatic as the Maple Leafs. Last season’s Atlantic Division stars are, at this point of the season, faring better than only the New York Rangers in the East, with 71 points, and are as out of the playoffs as is possible.
To make matters worse for Toronto, captain Auston Matthews is recuperating from a season-ending injury sustained on March 12 during a match against the Anaheim Ducks. A knee-on-knee collision with defenseman Radko Gudas resulted in a Grade 3 MCL tear for the star center. A team already compromised by the absence of its captain just could not keep up with the hot Sens.
Moreover, the team also had to battle the constant Marner barbs animating the Canadian Tire Centre. As the Leafs tried to salvage the match, Senators fans chanted “You need Marner,” adding insult to injury.
At this critical juncture of the season, only a shell of the Maple Leafs’ former core four remains. When Marner was acquired by the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade deal in July 2025, the Toronto front office visibly struggled and eventually failed to land a replacement on par with him.
The 28-year-old winger had played an instrumental role in strengthening the Leafs’ offense in seasons past, accumulating 102 points in 81 games in the 2024-25 season.
It is hard to tell for sure how different the Leafs’ standings position would have looked had Marner still been around and injuries not marred Matthews’ 2025-26 season. Of what remains of the core four, William Nylander has 64 points in 53 games so far, while John Tavares, who scored against the Senators on Saturday, has 57 points in 71 games.
Besides Tavares, rising star Easton Cowan had one goal and one assist against Ottawa.
The Leafs’ foremost problem remains the team’s attitude and drive. Tavares believes that the Leafs are not giving their 100% to win games. “We just didn’t sustain our game enough. Our energy has to be a whole lot better. … We still got back in the game, and we just couldn’t seem to make the push we needed. We’re not playing the way we’re capable of,” the veteran pointed out.
The Leafs need to urgently rediscover themselves and win some games, even though all their postseason hopes are out cold at this point.
